Boston Town Hall Meeting
11-08-06
Report by Beth Shearer, '66

There were about 30 people there I guess.  Only two people spoke in favor, and there were several passionate and articulate people raising questions.  My husband thought Ginger was very good, very smooth at answering without answering and deflecting questions.  I asked what financial projections they used for an estimate of the extra costs that will be entailed with male students (more security, more maintenance, more counseling, more drug and alcohol and sexual assault education and services, more coaches and trainers, more food, etc., and she basically said they believe everything will be lovely in 6 years, by which time they will have 1000 students.)

Answers seemed to be pretty much the same as at the other meetings, and it became very clear, if we had doubted it, that they are absolutely closed to any new suggestions or ideas because they need to justify their decision.  The only woman speaking in favor teaches at Regis, which just announced it is going co-ed, and it seemed to my husband (who is a counselor) and me that she also needed to justify that decision.  In other words, if R-MWC needs to do it, too, then it doesn't mean Regis has made a mistake.  I heard nothing that convinced me that they have carefully considered all alternative paths, or done full due diligence on the path they have chosen.  I did come away convinced that the only possible salvation for the college is a lawsuit that seeks to remove the Trustees for failure to meet their fiduciary and other responsibilities toward the college.

Eileen Kelly from the class of '58 drove over from Albany for the meeting.  I hadn't known her before, but had offered to put her up for the night.  When she commented that she hadn't known of the college's financial difficulties until the summer, Ginger replied, "Well, if you'd read President Bowman's letters more carefully, you would have known."  Somehow a lot of the rest of us missed it too.  I thought KGB seemed consistently upbeat about the state of the college.   Silly me.  Maybe it was in that kind of ink you have to hold up to a flame.